Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 5/2
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
Inter Miami will begin a two-game MLS road trip on Wednesday, starting with a match against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina.
Charlotte suffered a 1-0 defeat against Houston Dynamo over the weekend after conceding an early goal, while Inter Miami secured a 2-1 win over Nashville SC.
Charlotte FC
Over the weekend, Dean Smith’s Charlotte FC saw their four-match unbeaten streak in MLS come to an end, failing to score for the sixth time this year in a loss.
If they suffer another defeat on Wednesday, it will equal their longest losing streak in MLS this season (two). However, they are unbeaten in their last four domestic matches against Eastern Conference opponents.
A win in this match would give them 10 victories in the 2024 regular season, matching their total from last year.
The Crown have earned at least a point in their last six MLS home games, keeping clean sheets in five of those matches.
Currently, only three points separate them, in sixth place, from the New York Red Bulls, who are third. Charlotte also hold a 10-point cushion above the Eastern Conference play-off line.
Charlotte have a perfect home record against Inter Miami in MLS, winning both previous encounters 1-0, the most recent being in October 2023.
Team News
Over the weekend, Charlotte FC missed Brandon Cambridge due to a thigh injury, and Junior Urso was out with a leg issue.
Ashley Westwood is eligible to return for Wednesday’s game, having missed the previous encounter against the Dynamo because of yellow card accumulation.
Karol Swiderski, Charlotte’s top goalscorer in the 2022 and 2023 MLS campaigns, will rejoin the team this month after completing a loan spell with Serie A’s Hellas Verona and representing Poland at the Euros.
Inter Miami
Even without some key players in front of goal, Inter Miami continue to find ways to succeed, winning their last three league matches by a 2-1 margin.
Tata Martino’s squad sit atop the Supporters’ Shield standings, two points ahead of FC Cincinnati, and have the joint-fewest losses in the 2024 domestic season (three).
Miami leads MLS in scoring with 48 goals and has scored multiple times in their last four games, losing only one of these in the regular season (3-2 against CF Montreal). They have won seven league games away from home this year, matching their total from 2022 and 2023 combined, and just one behind Cincinnati for the most in MLS this season.
The Herons have only lost once in their previous 15 MLS matches (3-1 to Atlanta United) and remain unbeaten this season when level or leading at halftime.
Although Inter have yet to win an away match against Charlotte, they have taken points in three of their previous four MLS encounters with them.
Team News
Miami will once again be missing their joint top goalscorers, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, with Argentina and Uruguay advancing into the knockout stage of the Copa America, while Matias Rojas will not be back in time, as Paraguay play their final match at that tournament on Tuesday.
Marcelo Weigandt sat out of the previous Miami fixture with a hamstring knock, while Nicolas Freire and Facundo Farias were unavailable because of ACL injuries.
Diego Gomez is questionable because of an ankle sprain, Robbie Robinson remains sidelined through injury and Tomas Aviles is eligible to return from his yellow card suspension.
Ian Fray has goals in consecutive games for Miami as he and Jordi Alba found the back of the net in the latter stages of the opening half against Nashville.
Conclusion
Inter Miami’s victories without Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez may lack flair, but they remain effective. The Herons have maintained consistency despite frequent rotation, and this resilience might drive them to another win this week, despite most bookies favouring Charlotte.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 5/2
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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